Hundreds of people in Tanzania and Kenya have died after heavy rains during the monsoon season in the region, officials said.
Floods in Tanzania caused by weeks of heavy rain have killed 155 people and affected more than 200,000, the prime minister said on Thursday.
This is more than double the number of deaths reported two weeks ago as the amount of rain increases, especially in the coastal region and in the capital Dar es Salaam. Flooded schools have been closed and emergency services have rescued people isolated by the water. Roads, bridges, railways and other infrastructure have also been destroyed, officials said.
AP
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa warned those living in low-lying areas to move to higher ground and urged district officials to ensure that supplies intended for those whose homes were razed reach those in need. He said more than 51,000 homes have been affected by the rains.
In Kenya, 70 people have died since the start of the monsoon season in March, a government official said Friday. That figure is double the death toll authorities reported on Monday.
In the Mathare slum in the capital Nairobi, at least four bodies were recovered from flooded houses on Wednesday. Local media reported that more bodies were recovered from the Mathare River.
Patrick Ngugi/AP
Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday chaired a multi-agency meeting on flood response and ordered the National Youth Service to provide land to people in flood-affected areas.
The East African region is very vulnerable to climate change. Majaliwa told Tanzania’s parliament that The boy The weather pattern has worsened the current rainy season. The weather pattern has also worsened flooding in Kenya, officials said. The boy is It is expected to last until spring.. The region’s dry season usually begins in June.
AFP contributed to the report.